Applicants must register their intention to bid by 5pm on Friday 30th September 2016 (by emailing: Katherine.Coby@Devon.gov.uk). The deadline for completed applications is 5pm on Friday 21st October 2016.

Today is #NationalWorkFromHomeDay. It’s a Work Wise UK initiative “to promote modern ‘smarter’ working practices such as agile, flexible, remote and mobile working, as well as working from home”. They argue that the UK needs to work smarter:

“Changing outdated working practices and implementing a Smarter Working strategy provides a real opportunity for Employers to build and retain skills, to give serious thought to the dilemmas of youth unemployment and an aging population and to then set the road map for real work force transformation, creating benefits for our workplace and society.”

While it might seem counter intuitive for Devon Work Hubs to promote a day for homeworking, their focus on smarter flexible working is closely aligned with our ethos. Devon Work Hubs was developed to offer the people of Devon “an office when needed”. In Devon it is estimated that there are 86,000 home-based workers, many of whom experience the downsides of homeworking as well as the positives.

On this day to celebrate working from home, a lot of people have been sharing a 2010 article by Edward Collier, in which he argues that “It’s time to stop the schlep to work” . He points out that teleworking has never been easier thanks to the increasing availability of fast internet connection from home and the willingness of managers to see homeworking as a solution to tight budgets and limited space. Despite the increasing opportunity for many to work from home, the pitfalls of working exclusively from home remain and are increased if you are self-employed. While getting out of the overcrowded office was the priority of 2010, in 2015 89% of businesses in the South West were micro businesses. These businesses have differnent challenges and a significant proportion of these businesses are based in homes.

Melissa Talago, founder of Campfire Communications, told the Guardian “I felt really frazzled amid the clutter so in a fit of pique I dismantled the spare bed and claimed the guest room as Campfire Communications”. For her the solution to homeworking chaos was to create a space within her home just for working, but many just don’t have that option.

There is an increasing understanding that not only does your space impact your productivity, but that what works best one day might not be what is best the next day. Suzanne Bearne compared different locations to work, trying out a coffee shop, a work hub, a private club, a landmark and her own flat. Each had their own benefits and distractions, and it is clear that she has worked out which spaces are suited to her different styles of working.

So if you love the flexibility of working from home, but yearn for some company, some structure or maybe just faster broadband, the answer could be a flexible hot desk at a Devon Work Hub. All our work hubs offer flexible desks and offices as and when required, and there is no need for a long-term commitment. Find out where your nearest hub is here.

One of the best things about using a work hub is the flexibility. This means different things to different people, for some it’s the flexibility to work at a time that suits them, to use the facilities of an office only when needed or to work in an environment that suits their way of working.

The increasing availability of coworking retreats is an example of not only the spread of work hubs globally, but also suggests that the space in which we work in impacts how we work. A coworking retreat offers an immersive experience, and they are often marketed towards start ups.

Startup Basecamp has locations in San Francisco, Montreal and Brussels with more on the way. Here you can combine coworking with coliving, and they boast that you can “Hit the office as soon as you wake up”. Coworking giant WeWork recently opened 45 apartments in the same building as one of their hubs. There is a risk however that in this kind of environments, sleep will take a back seat, James Routeledge argued that ‘”Sleep faster” culture puts entrepreneurs’ mental health at risk’.

This combination of a working and living space doesn’t seem strange to anyone who has ever worked from home, but the key difference is being surrounded by other workers and other small businesses. Perhaps it is that difference that is leading to significant investments into coliving spaces. The Harvard Business Review argued that people thrive in Coworking spaces because “Working amidst people doing different kinds of work can also make one’s own work identity stronger”.

But is there a way to get the benefits of a coworking retreat without the bed-to-office intensity and without the package deal? I would say absolutely! Devon is a hugely popular destination for tourists, with great travel links and a wide variety of options for accommodation. There are Devon work hubs in a number of beautiful market and coastal towns, with more opening soon. Each hub offers flexible memberships and daily hot-desking, as well as free coffee and wifi. Just look at this view from @theworkstorbay and tell me that’s not inspiring.

Maybe a trip to Devon, and a Devon Work Hub, would make all the difference to your business.